"That's Ushijima from Shiratorizawa, right? He just feels different."
"The one next to him—I've never seen him before. Is he a Shiratorizawa freshman?"
"Probably. Wonder how strong he is."
...…
People were always enthusiastic when it came to discussing the tournament favorites.
Ryosuke followed behind Ushijima. Even if he didn't want to listen, he was too close—every word drifted straight into his ears.
He shrank behind Ushijima helplessly, trying to use him to block himself from view.
The corridor outside the gym was lined with reporters holding cameras, conducting interviews.
Most of the seeded teams weren't playing on the first day. The reporters were there to cover the tournament's opening, and a few were hoping to spot a dark horse team—but most found nothing.
A short-haired girl with a camera suddenly caught fragments of conversation about Shiratorizawa in the crowd. Someone mentioned that Shiratorizawa's ace had come to watch. She immediately looked around excitedly, only catching a flash of purple-and-white uniform disappearing into the crowd.
She hurried after them, but still lost them.
Lowering her head in frustration, she regretted missing the chance to interview Shiratorizawa.
The arena buzzed with noise. The three-day match schedule was posted on a bulletin board in the lobby.
Ryosuke tugged at Ushijima's sleeve, gesturing toward it.
Ushijima glanced back, and the two stood in front of the board together.
There were two matches at 9 a.m., held in two different venues, and another one scheduled at noon. With the tight timeline, the organizers had squeezed the matches together, not even sparing the lunch hour.
Ryosuke spotted Karasuno's name in the 9 a.m. bracket—they were facing Ohgiminami.
He looked up at Ushijima. "What's Ohgiminami like?"
Ushijima searched his memory but couldn't recall much. If he couldn't remember a school, it usually meant they were knocked out in the first or second round.
He shook his head. "Average."
A perfectly fair evaluation.
Avoiding the curious looks from those around them, Ryosuke said quietly, "Let's go to Court B first. I think Karasuno is pretty good."
Ushijima nodded without objection.
Most schools avoided high-intensity training the day before or on the day of a match to preserve their condition. Shiratorizawa was no exception.
Ushijima felt restless if he didn't train for a day, so before matches he would watch games—live or recorded—to reignite his competitive spirit.
An ace had to be ready at all times.
They arrived at Court B. It wasn't very large, about the same size as Shiratorizawa's gym.
Teams assigned to this court usually didn't draw much of a crowd, especially since it was the first match of the prefectural tournament. The larger venue attracted more spectators.
That created two extremes—one nearly empty, the other packed.
Ryosuke and Ushijima found seats.
After scanning the area, Ryosuke realized Court B was surprisingly crowded this year.
The first few rows near the court were almost full. Spectators of all ages chatted freely.
"You guys here to watch Karasuno too?"
"Yeah! You a Karasuno fan?"
"Not really. I just thought their poster was interesting."
"To be fair, Karasuno hasn't been doing well these past few years."
......
Behind Ushijima sat an elderly man wearing sunglasses, holding a newspaper and waiting impatiently for the match to begin.
The moment he heard that last comment, he shot to his feet and pointed at the two speakers.
"What nonsense are you spouting? You're the ones who are useless! Your whole family is useless!"
Ushijima, who had been spacing out, jumped slightly and looked up blankly, having no idea what just happened.
The two who had been talking froze. Embarrassed and too awkward to apologize, they pursed their lips guiltily.
"Oh? Karasuno still has fans? Hah."
"Say that again!"
Faced with the old man's furious glare and the surrounding stares, the two quickly scurried off.
It all happened so fast that Ryosuke didn't even have a chance to say anything.
The old man huffed and sat back down, returning to his newspaper.
Ryosuke set his things down and turned to Ushijima.
"Senpai, I'm going to the restroom. I'll be right back."
Ushijima nodded and patted Ryosuke's bag, indicating it was safe with him.
Ryosuke left the stands.
He honestly didn't understand why outsiders thought Ushijima-senpai was scary. He was straightforward and easy to understand.
Lost in thought, Ryosuke arrived at the restroom—
—and immediately spotted that familiar orange head at the entrance, arguing with someone who looked like a delinquent.
"We're definitely going to win—Karasuno will win!"
The person across from him looked Hinata up and down as if he'd just heard a joke.
"Hah? You? The ones who'll win are Ohgiminami. Kids should just go home and do their homework."
Only then did Ryosuke notice that the "delinquent-looking" guy was actually wearing Ohgiminami's uniform. He just looked unusually rough for his age.
Hinata's face flushed red with anger.
Ryosuke walked over and stood behind him, expression blank as he stared at the other player. He rested a hand on Hinata's shoulder. Hinata turned around in confusion.
The person opposite them—Ohgiminami's captain, Towada—broke out in cold sweat.
He had never imagined his trash talk would be witnessed by someone from Shiratorizawa. Their uniform was far too recognizable.
When Ryosuke didn't smile, he looked somewhat like Ushijima—equally distant and unapproachable.
His usually crescent-shaped green cat eyes now held a sharp edge, the piercing gaze making it hard to meet his eyes.
Towada scratched his head awkwardly.
"W-Whatever. We're definitely going to win!" he blurted, then bolted as if fleeing.
Hinata looked at Ryosuke in delight.
"Ryosuke, did you come to watch my game?!"
Ryosuke snapped out of it and smiled, nodding. "Yeah. Want me to walk you back?"
"Yeah, yeah!"
One tall and one short, they walked back together in easy harmony.
The bystanders in the hallway exchanged glances.
On Karasuno's side, things were chaotic.
Daichi radiated dark energy. "Where did Hinata run off to now?!"
"That shorty went to the bathroom. He even threw up on the bus."
Tsukishima held his water bottle, expressionless as he reported.
Sugawara smacked Tsukishima lightly at the waist with a grin. "Alright, alright, that's enough."
Tsukishima clicked his tongue and fell silent.
Kageyama crouched in a corner trimming his nails, trying to calm himself.
"Tanaka."
"Nishinoya."
"Shimizu-senpai is especially beautiful today." x2
Nishinoya and Tanaka pressed their palms together devoutly, gazing at Kiyoko Shimizu as she organized the volleyballs. The radiant aura around her was blinding.
"Daichi-senpai, I'm back!"
Daichi turned toward the voice, dark aura gathering as he prepared to scold Hinata—then he spotted Ryosuke behind him.
His expression shifted instantly, twisting awkwardly.
Sugawara covered his eyes in mock horror. Asahi snickered quietly.
Daichi shot them both a fierce glare. What do you know? You can't scold a kid in front of outsiders—that'll just make him rebellious.
Ryosuke watched their silent exchange with amusement but said nothing. He simply nodded in greeting.
"Hope you get off to a strong start."
Hinata's eyes sparkled with admiration. So cool! As expected of Ryosuke—he even used such an impressive idiom!
Daichi grinned. "You too."
Ryosuke ruffled Hinata's hair. "Do your best. I'll be watching from the stands. I'll head back now."
The encouragement filled Hinata with fighting spirit. The little crow lifted his chin proudly.
"Don't worry! I'll win!"
Only then did Ryosuke leave at ease.
On the way back, he suddenly realized something that annoyed him—Karasuno now had two female managers.
His own school didn't even have one. In that sense, Karasuno was practically being treated like a powerhouse.
When he returned to his seat, he felt like he'd forgotten something again.
He lowered his head, thinking hard… what was it…?
But once the match began and both teams stepped onto the court, the thought vanished completely.
Ushijima didn't quite understand why Ryosuke wanted to watch this match. Probably because he was friends with the Karasuno players.
Since it was a prefectural tournament, there were no commentators—only referees, ball boys, and spectators from various schools.
It was Hinata's first time at the prefectural tournament. Stepping onto the orange court, he was so excited he couldn't speak. He took a deep breath and fixed his eyes forward.
The Karasuno players exchanged looks, encouraging one another.
"Karasuno! Fight!"
The first set began. Karasuno's starters were:
Tanaka, Kageyama, Tsukishima
Daichi, Asahi, Nishinoya
With limited depth and worried that Hinata might get carried away in the first set, they decided to keep him on the bench for now.
"Beeep—" The match officially started.
Ohgiminami won the serve in the pre-match draw. Their number one player stepped up to the service line, face serious.
"Nice serve!"
He took a deep breath and leapt, delivering a solid jump serve. It wasn't outstanding, but it wasn't bad either.
For Nishinoya, it was routine. He received it smoothly.
"Nice receive!"
Daichi shouted.
The first pass went to their ace, Asahi.
Ohgiminami didn't know much about Karasuno. Last year, they'd had the misfortune of running into Shiratorizawa early and were eliminated immediately.
Asahi smashed the ball down hard.
Bang!
It struck the floor before the opposing side could react.
"Nice spike!"
An electrifying opening point.
Asahi carried the ball to the service line.
Ohgiminami clenched their teeth. That single point had already shown them—Karasuno was no third-rate team. Was last year's tragedy about to repeat itself?
Bang!
A powerful jump serve crushed Ohgiminami's morale.
From that moment on, Karasuno surged forward with unstoppable momentum, pushing the score to 20:15.
Ohgiminami seemed completely devoid of fighting spirit.
From the stands, Ushijima couldn't understand the meaning of this match. It felt like volleyball played without any will.
Ryosuke seemed to sense his thoughts and explained quietly,
"I came to watch Karasuno. Their setter and that orange-haired middle blocker have a really amazing freak quick."
Ushijima frowned slightly.
"Just keep watching."
Ohgiminami's defeat seemed inevitable. Yet, for some reason, just before the end of the first set, something ignited.
First, their number one dove desperately to save a ball flying out of bounds. Then their setter, who had stood stiffly moments ago, reignited with determination.
They managed to claw back two points at the end.
Towada stared at the volleyball on the floor, regret tangling in his chest.
He was an ordinary person, someone who drifted through life. A single point on the court wasn't a point in life.
All this effort might only add one line to his future resume:
"Actively participated in club activities during high school."
He was already a third-year.
What was left to spend?
Looking at his gritting teammates and the confused expressions of his underclassmen, Ohgiminami's captain finally felt a sense of responsibility.
He threw himself into saving every point. As he dove, for a fleeting moment, he overlapped with the image of his seniors from years past…
Failure didn't matter.
At least Towada knew one thing—he truly loved volleyball.
"Hah. That kid's got some grit."
The uncle behind Ushijima muttered to himself.
Ryosuke glanced back and nodded in agreement.
The first set was decided.
Karasuno secured it and gathered together, sharing their excitement.
"That captain's not bad," Daichi commented. Anyone capable of turning the tide couldn't be weak.
Nishinoya popped up grinning. "Still nowhere near our ace."
Asahi, suddenly dragged into it, shrank back and pretended not to hear.
"Well, our ace is just that delicate," Sugawara added with a teasing smile.
Asahi, once again dragged into it, forced a bitter smile.
Everyone laughed kindly.
Ukai clapped his hands as he walked over.
"Keep it up—this is good! Nishinoya, be ready to switch with Hinata next set. Hinata's engine's warmed up, right?"
His gaze landed on the two smallest players.
Hinata suppressed his excitement and nodded.
"I'm ready, Coach!"
Karasuno's faculty advisor, Takeda-sensei, stood off to the side, watching them with pride.
"The crows are about to take flight."
Hitoka Yachi tilted her head, not quite understanding.
Shimizu pressed her lips together, smiling from the heart.
The sight nearly blinded Tanaka, who had been secretly watching her.
Tanaka pressed his palms together devoutly. With Shimizu-senpai here, Karasuno was invincible!
The second set began.
Kageyama stepped up to serve.
Later, Ryosuke had asked Oikawa about Kageyama's serve and learned that Kageyama had indeed learned it from him. Oikawa had refused to admit it outright, but Ryosuke could tell between the lines that he actually thought Kageyama's serve was good—he just couldn't bring himself to say it directly.
Kageyama's serve was also a powerful jump serve, nicknamed by Hinata as the "Killer Serve."
It clearly carried traces of Oikawa's style. A setter like that, given time, would become a formidable opponent.
Ryosuke was oddly enthusiastic about cultivating strong rivals for himself and Shiratorizawa.
Kageyama tossed the ball, took his approach, pushed off hard, and leapt.
Bang!
His palm struck the ball with a sharp crack.
The ball shot down onto Ohgiminami's court.
Their libero couldn't even keep up with its speed. Watching the ball hit the floor, his face turned pale.
"Nice serve, Kageyama!"
"Good job!"
Daichi and Tanaka praised him generously. With their taciturn, prickly teammate, encouragement worked best.
Ryosuke clearly saw Ushijima lean forward slightly after that serve.
For some reason, Ushijima-senpai had always been determined to recruit Oikawa to Shiratorizawa. Perhaps it was mutual respect between strong players.
Back when Shirabu was setting for Ushijima, he had once resented how highly Ushijima regarded Oikawa and developed a one-sided hostility toward him.
When the two met, they would argue like elementary schoolers, determined to win verbally.
Later, Shirabu realized that Ushijima admired every strong player equally. After that, he stopped quarreling with Oikawa. And Ushijima, too, stopped praising Oikawa's abilities in front of Shirabu so bluntly.
It had taken repeated reminders from Reon and Tendō for Ushijima to understand that praising another team's setter in front of his own was impolite.
The serve just now, so clearly bearing Oikawa's imprint, finally made Ushijima take Kageyama seriously.
...
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